The U.S. has sent a women's curling team to compete in every Olympics that has held a women's curling competition.

For just the second time, the Americans will play in the tournament semifinals.

The U.S. women's curling team clinched a spot in the final four with a 7-6 extra ends victory over Switzerland on Thursday's final session of round-robin play. 

It took a clutch throw to win it.

The U.S. had hammer in the 11th, but Switzerland had done a great job to keep the button guarded. On the final rock, Tabitha Peterson stepped to the hog and threw down the left side of the ice. The rock took 24 seconds to come down the ice as Taylor Anderson-Heide and Tara Peterson swept with all their might to keep it going. It floated just behind the two Swiss stones sitting at the top of the four-foot and finally stopped at the back, just inches closer to the button for the one point and the win.

The U.S. players embraced in a hug to celebrate the U.S.'s first trip to the Olympic semifinals since 2002. Now, they'll look to win the team's first Olympic medal.

Switzerland made the game interesting in the 10th, coming away with three points to force the extra end. 

The U.S. had largely controlled the game up to that point. They scored first and went ahead in the fourth on a hammer throw takeout by Tabitha Peterson.

One end later, the U.S. had a rock on the button with just the final throws remaining. Peterson threw a guard with her final throw, and it was good she did. Alina Patz's hammer throw brushed the side of that guard and was thrown off course. The stone came up short, allowing the U.S. to steal one and take a 3-1 lead at the halfway break.

It was the U.S.'s 13th stolen end of the Olympics.

On the U.S.'s fifth throw of the seventh, Cory Thiesse came up with a takeout on a double-runback, eliminating the only Swiss stone in the house while leaving her team lying two. The shot set up a good end for Team USA, which ended with Peterson also getting a takeout on the hammer for two points and a 5-2 lead with three ends remaining.

The Swiss squad had a chance at a big end in the eighth until Patz's first throw got out one U.S. stone but rolled out and wasn't sitting shot. The U.S. attempted a draw to the button on their final throw, but came up well short and was sitting at the top of the eight-foot. Patz tried for a double but only got the one. Switzerland settled for one point when they could have had three.

In the ninth, Peterson's first throw went straight down the T-Line and removed both of Switzerland's sitting stones on the back of the eight-foot. Switzerland drew straight into that U.S. rock, leaving the U.S. with just a draw to the button for one. Peterson nailed the throw, and the Americans went into the 10th up, 6-3.

That looked to be a dagger until Switzerland's big 10th end. It was the sixth time the Swiss have scored three or more points in a single end in these Olympics, and the first time they've scored that many and went on to lose the game.

With the win, Team USA (6-3) leapfrogs Switzerland (6-3) in the standings, giving them the No. 2 seed in the semifinals. Switzerland now sits at No. 3, meaning the teams will face one other again in the playoffs. 

The semifinals will be played on Friday at 8:05 a.m. ET.

SCOREBOARD

Great Britain needed to win to advance to the semifinals, but also needed the U.S. to lose. Since they didn't get the help they needed, the defending Olympic gold medalists were eliminated.

Rebecca Morrison's team scored two in the fourth and stole one in the fifth go to into the half up, 4-1.

Italy got two back thanks to a double-takeout by Stefania Constantini in the sixth to make it 4-3.

In the ninth, Italy sat three rocks just behind one Great Britain stone in the four-foot. Constantini tried to take out that lone red rock, but missed, leaving it sitting next to another Great Britain on the back of the four-foot. Rebecca Morrison just needed to draw her hammer to those stones and it gave her team three and a 7-4 lead going into the 10th.

Great Britain finishes 5-4 and in 6th place.

Italy (2-7) leaves their home Olympics with a 9th place finish.

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Earlier this week, Canada sat 1-3 and was well on the outside looking in on the tournament semifinals. 

Five games later, they've clinched their spot.

The Canadians finished round-robin play with five straight victories, including Thursday's win over South Korea to move on to the final four.

The game was a must-win for both teams. The winner would take the No. 3 seed, the winner would go home.

With the score tied 4-4 in the sixth, Rachel Homen with her first throw took out two South Korean stones sitting on the left side of four-foot. That left the Canada sitting four. The Koreans could only get out one, and Homan drew to the button with her final stone, doubling her team's score and putting the game out of reach. 

After trading single points in the seventh and eighth, the Koreans put up two in the ninth, but Canada added another single in the 10th for the three-point win.

With the win, Canada (6-3) clinches the No. 4 seed in the semifinals. They'll play No. 1 Sweden in the semifinals on Friday at 8:05 a.m. ET.

South Korea finishes their time in Cortina 5-4 and in fifth place.

SCOREBOARD

Japan finished its Olympics with a three-point win thanks to a single point in the eighth, a steal of one in the ninth, and a steal of two more in the 10th.

The Japanese squad finished with five stolen points over three stolen ends in the win.

Both Japan and China finish the tournament 2-7. Japan leaves in 8th place, and China leaves in 10th.

SCOREBOARD